NPPN Article #64: Church Planting: A Prayer Strategy by
Phil Miglioratti
Every
church planting leadership team has the opportunity, and
responsibility, to build prayer into the DNA of the new
congregation. Church planting pastors should learn from
those colleagues who have realized the importance of prayer
and are struggling to change an already set church culture.
Our Lord has never commanded us to build a house of
preaching and certainly not a house of programs. But He has
passionately made it clear that He expects us to become
households of prayer for all nations (ethne'). This
requires:
- Every
strategy to be prayer-birthed
- Every
ministry to be prayer-based
- Every
activity to be prayer-bathed
Church planting
pastors and leadership teams would do well to include these
components in their philosophy and strategy of ministry from
the very beginning:
Prayer Warriors
Every pastor
should recruit prayer partners
Men (or women
for female pastors) who meet with him for Prayer
Men & Women
who prayer for him weekly
Recruit prayer
support from partner congregations
Prayer Walking
The pastor
should
walk various parts of the community daily or weekly
Prayer teams
should be assigned specific neighborhoods & hot spots
Prayer in Worship
Work
diligently at an inspiring and engaging pastoral prayer
Inject prayer:
Before the
service: Leaders gather for prayer
During the
service: Volunteers pray throughout
After the
service: Train a team to minister at the altar of in a
prayer room
Involve the
congregation in prayer:
Repeat-after-me prayers
Silent praying
(through the bulletin, for example)
Kneeling or
standing or moving (to a designated location)
With other
church members;
praying for identified needs
Prayer Weekend
For core
leadership
Prayer Workshop
For prayer team and praying people
Training in:
The various
types of prayer and when to use them
Evangelistic
praying strategies
Ministry
prayer (healing and strengthening)
Prayer Watch
Establish a
regular rhythm of prayer among all the members
Daily: teach daily praying for family,
church and community
Weekly:
establish Watch & Pray groups
Watch "Lord
what are you saying to us through scripture and the
events of the week
We want to see what you see as we
pray
"
Pray "Lord,
help us pray the promises of scripture and the purposes
of God more than the problems of daily life."
Monthly:
Design an exciting, everyone participates, evening of
prayer
Quarterly:
Invite another
congregation to join you in prayer
Schedule a
prayer workshop
Bring in a
special speaker to preach on prayer
Pastor:
Schedule a day
of personal prayer
Read a new
book on prayer
Retreat with
your Pastors' Prayer Group
Yearly:
Call the
entire congregation into a week of prayer
Pastor
Attend a major
prayer conference and include your designated prayer
coordinator